Review: McCall's 7085 | Neoprene Jersey and Mesh Sheath Dress!

7:00 AM

I've been obsessing over neoprene fabric for a while now. And it seems like the more obsessive I became, the better the fabric is now. Neoprene isn't as thick and stiff as it was a few years ago. These new and improved lighter weight "neoprene-like" fabrics are a dream to sew with and perfect for structured garments. Which is why I picked this black/ivory abstract neoprene jersey. Talk about hard to get! I stalked this fabric for weeks. It sold out and all of a sudden it was back!

I knew it would be the perfect fabric for this dress. See, it all started back with this one:

I tried this Elie Tahari dress on in a fitting room and fell completely in love with it. But the $428 price tag made me weep. I examined the dress inside and out and immediately made up my mind that I would be making my own version. And I was pleased as punch when my neoprene jersey arrived because it was exactly the same type of fabric as my inspiration dress!

For my pattern, I chose McCall's 7085. This pattern was perfect, down to every single dart! I used view A, which is just two pieces -- the front and back.

I cut the size 12. Since my garment is not hemmed, I only had to add 2 inches to the length.

All of the darts are sewn lapped. And the side seams are also lapped. This is a new-to-me detail that I snatched from my inspiration garment. I guess I very rarely make anything that uses fabric that doesn't ravel and doesn't require additional measures for seam finishing. It looks simple, but it took a lot of meticulous effort to achieve this effortless look.

The body of the dress is basically cut as a one-shoulder style, topped with this Italian Black Diamond Nylon Mesh Netting. This was my first time working with mesh and I didn't know what to expect. This mesh was not as coarse as the mesh on the inspiration dress, but it still turned out well. I've never done any type of applique sewing. Again, a new step for me. But I think it turned out well.

I finished the neckline with a satin 1/4" double fold seam binding. And just did a rolled hem for the armhole. The first time I tried it, I bound the armhole too. Since the other armhole is the unfinished neoprene jersey, there was a noticeable difference to me. It didn't feel right. So the rolled hem added an unfinished feel to that side.

Mesh is very unforgiving if you make an error. If you try to pick a stitch loose? Good luck with that. I butchered the mesh the first go round and had to remove it and do it over. Not fun removing zig zag stitches from neoprene jersey either. But I must take a moment and pat myself on the back and dust the dirt off my shoulder for matching that print down the back!

The mesh is also added to the bottom in an asymmetrical cutout way. And the hemline is left unfinished. This was a fun dress to make. It did take a little longer than I anticipated. But it allowed me to release some pent-up creative energy that I had unfortunately been repressing for a while!

It's truly a work of art and a labor of love. I think we get a sense of fulfillment went we create a piece rather than buying it. I never thought of neoprene for a dress but it looks great. I'll keep it in mind as I advance my skill set. I'm a newbie so I take my time with everything.

I like yours better. I like your fabric better for sure. And your eye for detail and craftsmanship is as always, on point. I didn’t think I’d like that neoprene fabric. I thought it would be hot, and I’m having hot flashes these days, so no. But I bought a couple of blouses last summer and it’s not hot at all. Just lovely.

Elie Ta-WHO? I'd pay $500 for that Erica Bunker dress. Girl I just peeped the look on Facebook and had to check out the details. This is such a great dress! And I totally agree, it does look better than the inspiration. This is why I love to sew. Cudos!

Even if you're lucky enough to find a true "nude" colored zipper, the zipper tape is against the body. The seam allowance is what is showing through the transparency of the mesh. It really wouldn't make much of a difference.

WOW!!!! You make a lot of stylish things, but this takes the cake, hands down! You look AMAZING!!! And I think the black and white is a lot cleaner and more dynamic than the floral print inspiration dress.

this dress is our of control! OUT OF CONTROL!!! I seriously said those words out loud (yes, in public) when your pics came across my feed earlier this week. had to stop in and say as much in person. amazing work, Erica.

By the way I always thought you looked great. Your style is always on point. Your skills are amazing when I get in the mood to sew something I always come by your blog to see what stylish new garment you've made so that I can try to copy it. Lol with mixed results.

I am loving the recreation even more than the inspo dress! I would love if this fabric wasn't sold out! Lol. You are surely becoming MY favorite sewing blogger right now. Especially this year! And I've been reading you for ages. Thanks for the tips on lapped seams and the mesh appliqué. I really want to try both techniques because my local fabric store ( Jomar ) had all the neoprene jerseys in January and February that I'm Just getting to sewing. Keep inspiring!

Erica,Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for helping me to get my sewing mojo back. You've shown me that I can still be fabulous at 56, after all I'm a Glam-Mom now (LOL). The greatest attribute you offer your fans is your honesty and sincerity; you've shown us that all of your projects are not successes and I thank you for being "real".

Hi Erika, I think "neoprene"-like knits are still new enough that good advice on this fabric is hard to find in the blogosphere. I'm in the middle of a sheath dress and debating whether to line it. I've been lining all my ITY knit dresses with a light weight power mesh (often seen in swimsuits) because I think the lining smooths things out (vs. a slip, which seems silly to wear under a patio/ lounge dress). Do you have an opinion on lining scuba knits? I figure it can't hurt... But maybe there is a reason not to line? Would love your thoughts. Thanks!

For this Neoprene jersey, I found that the fabric has a heavy enough hand to where I didn't feel the need to line it. In my opinion, they are far less like ITY and more comparable to a high quality ponte knit. Unless you're using a Spanx-like power knit, I don't see how a swimsuit lining would be beneficial to smoothing. I hope this helps!